The present invention relates to a vehicle seat having an integrated child seat and in particular to an integrated child seat with a detachable booster seat for use by a child who is too large for the child seat but not yet large enough for the seat assembly without the use of a raised seat cushion.
Vehicle seats having a child seat contained therein, commonly referred to as an integrated child seat, have been growing in popularity in recent years. An increasing number of vehicles are available with an integrated child seat option. However, an integrated child seat is only useful during a short portion of a child's life. An integrated child seat cannot be used with a newborn infant. Newborn infants require a rearward facing seat to provide the necessary head support. Furthermore, a child will typically outgrow an integrated child seat and its restraint system prior to being large enough to sit in the vehicle seat and be tall enough to use an adult restraint system properly. Accordingly, after market booster seats are available which provide a raised seat cushion for a child, raising the child to a proper height for use of an adult shoulder belt restraint. In addition, the raised height makes it easier for the child to see out of the vehicle and generally results in a more contented child traveler. However, the purchase of an after market booster seat is an added expense to the vehicle owner.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat having both an integrated child seat as well as a booster seat to avoid the need for an after market booster seat.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an integrated child seat and a booster seat which enables use of the child seat by one child and simultaneous use of the booster seat by a larger child.
The integrated child seat of the present invention includes a pair of panels which are attached to the vehicle seat back and are stowed within a recess in the seat back. When stowed, the panels form a part of the seat back contact surface allowing an adult to use the seat at the location of the child seat. The two panels are attached to one another in an end-to-end relationship with a first panel being rotatably mounted to the seat back at a proximal end adjacent the lower end of the seat back. The second panel is coupled to the distal end of the first panel and is positioned above the first panel when the two panels are stowed in the seat back. In use as a child seat, the first and second panels are rotated forward and downward so as to extend forward from the seat back and overly the seat bottom. The first panel forms a seat cushion for a child occupant while the second panel, which extends forward from the first panel, can be used as a footrest for the child occupant.
The footrest panel is releasably coupled to the seat cushion panel so it can be removed therefrom. When removed, the integrated child seat is still usable, only without a footrest. The footrest panel can be attached to the seat assembly at another seating position and placed upon the adult seat bottom. The panel now serves as a booster seat to raise the child and enable proper use of an adult shoulder belt restraint.